Chinese hostess club in Ginza busted for immigration violations

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Monday announced the arrest last month of the female manager of a hostess club in the Ginza district for unlawful employment, reports TV Asahi (Nov. 5).

At approximately 9:40 p.m. on October 2, officers took the 39-year-old manager of club Gold, Qi Zou, and three other Chinese nationals into custody for allowing employment while residing in Japan via short-term or student visas — a violation of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.

Zou has admitted to the allegations, police investigators said. “There is no mistake,” the suspect is quoted by police.

According to weekly tabloid Shukan Jitsuwa (Oct. 25), the bust is just the tip of the iceberg.

“There is a high probability that law enforcement will commence with a large clean sweep of sex-related businesses in Tokyo,” a reporter on the police beat tells the tabloid.

The tabloid says that incidents taking place over the last year in which customers of clubs have been drugged and robbed are of growing concern.

The operator of an illegal massage parlor tells Shukan Jitsuwa that in addition to the risk of being busted the territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands has resulted in a substantial drop in customers.

According to investigators, club Gold’s Zou recruited employees through Chinese language newspapers.

Over the past year, the club, which implemented a membership system that required at least 10,000 yen to secure a seat, netted 26 million yen in revenue.